7 MLB GMs Destined to Win over Fans at the Trading Deadline

With the non-waiver trade deadline just over three weeks away, general managers throughout baseball are trying to figure out whether their teams are truly contenders or merely pretenders—and whether they will be looking to add pieces or shed veterans as the trade deadline nears.

For some general managers, the decision has already been made, and adding quality young talent to their organizations is a must if they stand a chance at gaining the support of their respective teams' fanbase.

It doesn't take years of experience working in a front office to see where a team needs to improve—fans know a teams' needs just as well as the general manager does.

Some of the general managers we'll look at have desirable veteran pieces that they can use to obtain this young talent, while others have the young talent needed to obtain the veteran players needed to shore up their organization's run towards the postseason.

Let's take a look at seven GMs who are poised to make the fans believe in their abilities to get the job done.

Chicago Cubs: Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein

As the faces of a new era in Cubs' baseball, both GM Jed Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein are keenly aware that the Cubs' faithful are champing at the bit to see a quality product on the field—and that sooner or later, the duo needs to make their first significant move.

Holding a pair of kings in their hand, as neither Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza would be considered true "aces" on a contending team—all eyes will be on the duo to bring back young quality talent that is ready to help the Cubs in the immediate future.

Aside from the two starters, virtually anyone on the roster other than Jeff Samardzjia, Anthony Rizzo and most likely Starlin Castro could be used to acquire additional pieces.

Finding a new home for Alfonso Soriano would go a long way in gaining the fans' trust and support. The poster-boy of the Jim Hendry era, Soriano has overstayed his welcome in the Windy City and while an absolute train wreck in the field, he remains productive at the plate.

If what CBS Sports' Danny Knobler reported at the end of May was true then and remains the case today, the Cubs shouldn't have much trouble finding a taker for the 36-year-old:

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Not surprisingly, Cubs are telling teams they will eat almost all of Soriano $$ (maybe all but $3 mill) if they can dump him.

— DKnobler (@DKnobler) May 31, 2012

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That's $45 million of the $48 million remaining on Soriano's deal. Having to pay him $3 million through the 2014 season is an expense that virtually any team in the league could absorb.

With a plethora of marketable veteran talent and an owner who is apparently willing to spare no expense in turning things around, Epstein and Hoyer have everything needed to give a tremendous boost to their rebuilding efforts and energize a frustrated group of loyal fans.

Houston Astros: Jeff Luhnow

Jeff Luhnow wasn't waiting until the trade deadline to start acquiring pieces for his veteran talent, acquiring 3B Matt Dominguez and LHP Ron Rasmussen from the Marlins in exchange for 1B Carlos Lee.

It might not be the greatest return that Luhnow could have received in exchange for Lee, as neither prospect projects to be a star player, but he added two pieces to the puzzle he's trying to put together as he rebuilds the Astros from joke to contender.

Next on his agenda will be finding homes for starter Wandy Rodriguez and closer Brett Myers, something easier said than done considering the years and money remaining on both of their deals.

That being said, there is a market for both players, and the while fans would ideally like to see them pick up a big-time prospect along the way, chances are that the return for both veteran pitchers will be closer to what they received for Lee than anything else.

With the Astros still needing to add talent in multiple locations—especially in their rotation—before they can be deemed as being legitimate playoff contenders again, adding some quality pieces in exchange for their high-priced veterans is pretty much all Houston fans can ask for at this point.

Luhnow has a chance to continue doing just that as the trade deadline approaches.

Milwaukee Brewers: Doug Melvin

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says that Doug Melvin hasn't yet decided whether the Brewers will be selling or not, but that he'll wait until the bitter end before officially opening for business:

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"We're just trying to win games and get back in the hunt,'' Melvin said. #brewers

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 5, 2012

 

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GM Doug Melvin says he'll probably wait until end of that stretch to determine the #brewers course of action w/trades.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 5, 2012

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While Melvin thinks that his team can claw their way back into the playoff picture—which they very well might be able to do—he knows that the best thing for the long-term future of the organization is to maximize the value of his soon-to-be-free-agents, especially Zack Greinke.

Virtually every contending team in baseball, perhaps with the exception of the Braves, will be trying to work out a deal with Melvin to rent the former AL Cy Young Award winner for the stretch run.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that while the Braves certainly have the prospects needed to swing a deal, they wouldn't include them in a deal without having Greinke signed long-term.*

Young, quality starting pitching that is under team control for years—much like the players that the Braves have to offer— is the most difficult thing to acquire in baseball. But Greinke is a legitimate game-changer, a player who can put a team over-the-top and into the playoffs.

Between Greinke and the injured Shaun Marcum,  Melvin is set to infuse the Brewers with some much-needed talent—and please the Brew Crew faithful, who deserve better than to see their club wind up with another supplemental draft pick as their best players leave via free agency.

*An ESPN Insider subscription is needed to view the full article.

Minnesota Twins: Terry Ryan

Unless your name is Joe Mauer (who has a full no-trade clause) or Miguel Sano (their best prospect in years), anyone and everyone in the Twins' organization should be on notice that they may have a new home come Aug. 1.

In a conversation with Tom Pelissero of ESPN 1500 AM, as reported by Phil Mackey, Terry Ryan explained that anyone and everyone on the Twins' roster shouldn't be surprised if they find themselves with a new address by the end of the month:

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I never consider anybody untouchable. That's not the way to go about business on a baseball team or organization. If you've got chances to do things that make a lot of sense for your club there shouldn't be any untouchables. Players know that, agents know that, and so does the fan base.

I'd be a fool to sit here and say somebody's untouchable.

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While the Twins offense hasn't been terrible—they've scored the 19th most runs in baseball, and their .722 OPS is 18th—Minnesota has virtually nothing as far as young, quality starting pitching goes, whether it be on the major league roster or down on the farm.

Twins fans are keenly aware of the lack of quality arms in the organization, and as long as Ryan is getting quality players who can be plugged into the major league roster immediately—next season at the latest—he will have gone a long way towards restoring the fans' trust in the Twins hierarchy.

Between center fielder Denard Span, left fielder Josh Willingham and first baseman Justin Morneau—to name a few—Ryan has a number of players who are attractive options for contenders around baseball.

As long as he is reasonable in what he asks for in return, Ryan shouldn't have much of a problem in bringing in a fresh crop of players that the team desperately needs.

New York Mets: Sandy Alderson

With the Bernie Madoff scandal behind them, the Mets have no excuses left not to add pieces to what has been a surprising team thus far in 2012.

Sandy Alderson, the architect of the Oakland A's World Series winning teams in the late 80s, understands that New York fans are among the most demanding in all of sports, and between them and the press, the pressure to succeed can be overwhelming.

While moving their top prospects is out of the question—namely Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Familia—Alderson shouldn't need to in order to bolster the team's two biggest areas of need: a right-handed bat and multiple pieces for the bullpen.

The Mets are in a position to surprise everyone and remain in the thick of the pennant race in the NL East until the bitter end, but they need to bolster their roster in order to get there. Alderson is in a position to make sure that happens.

In a shameless bit of self-promotion, you can follow all the latest rumblings and rumors surrounding the Mets here as B/R brings you non-stop coverage of your favorite teams as we move closer to the trade deadline.

Philadelphia Phillies: Ruben Amaro Jr.

While Phillies fans and the team itself would love nothing more than to sign starter Cole Hamels to a long-term deal, the fact of the matter is that with each passing day, Hamels' value only goes up—and he becomes less likely to re-sign with the Phillies, who have a number of players who have contract situations that need to be addressed.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Amaro has begun shopping Hamels around the league and to nobody's surprise, the asking price is incredibly high:

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Not surprisingly, the Phillies' asking price for Hamels is said by sources to be very, very steep: package of 4 to 5 prospects, some A-plus.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 1, 2012

 

Aside from Hamels, center fielder Shane Victorino is poised to hit the open market as well, giving Amaro two players who could bring back a sizable return as the team tries to re-tool while remaining competitive in the NL East—a premise that Amaro confirmed to reporters that included Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

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We plan on being contenders in ’13, ’14, ’15 and ’16. So we’re not blowing this team up. That’s not going to happen, regardless of what happens over the next couple of weeks. We plan on being contenders for the next several years, even if we don’t get to the finish line this year. We’d still view ourselves as contenders. It’s more about retooling than it is redoing. We’ve got a lot of players who are pretty damn good. I expect them to be playing next year for us.

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Allowing their biggest free-agents-to-be to walk away at the end of the season with nothing more than a supplemental draft pick (in Hamels' case) certainly doesn't help the Phillies reach Amaro's stated goal of remaining a contender.

He and the Phanatics know that maximizing the return on the team's investment in developing Hamels is the key to their long-term future.

There's no reason to expect Amaro to fall short of adding the necessary pieces with a Hamels deal, though the likelihood that he'll be able to pull as lofty a return as Olney reported is not high.

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San Diego Padres: Josh Byrnes

Talking with Darren Smith of XX 1090 AM yesterday, Josh Byrnes acknowledged that due to the team's uncertain ownership situation, he simply is not in a position to offer contract extensions to their pending free agents, namely outfielder Carlos Quentin and closer Huston Street.

To that end, Byrnes acknowledged that he's been talking with other general managers from around the league: "We've been on the phone a lot... (but) we don't need to trade anyone."

I'd argue that Padres fans don't agree with that. Fourteen years removed from their last World Series appearance, Padres' fans have watched their best players leave via free agency or be dealt off for players that simply don't pan out.

The haul he received from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for staff ace Mat Latos over the winter was a big step towards rebuilding the beleaguered franchise, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

Both Quentin and Street have already generated buzz around the league with multiple contenders purported to have interest in both players, and CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that at least five teams—the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Indians, Orioles and Pirates have expressed interest in third baseman Chase Headley.

Those three players alone should bring back quality pieces that Byrnes can continue to add to the rebuilding process.

Allowing Quentin and Street to walk after the season with nothing to show for it is simply not an acceptable outcome for Padres' fans and despite what he told Darren Smith, Byrnes knows that as well.